Ornamental screen



Nov. 7, 1950 M. H. HINTERSTEINER ORNAMENTAL SCREEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1946 A TTORNEY M. H. HINTERSTEIN ER Nov. 7, 195o ORNAMENTAL SCREEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 0G13. 8, 1946 v INVENTOR. meme/rf #f4/mm /wfm/e I BY f j 196668421976 o (/6 7s (/6 (20 y A TTORNE Y Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE oRNAMENTAL SCREEN Marguerite Henriette Hintersteiner, New York, N. Y.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to screens.

An object of the invention is to provide a screen which is formed of a plurality of elongated members which are flexibly interconnected and so constructed and arranged as to permit the screen to stand upon a level surface such as a floor without further bracing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a floor screen which includes a number of elongated slats slightly spaced from each other, with flexible members interconnecting the slats along their upper and lower end portions, and having a resilient member underlying said flexible members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a oor screen formed of a number of upstanding slats slightly spaced from each other and backed on at least one face with facing material, Said screen including opaque flexible strips overlying the spaces between adjacent slats to block the passage of light therethrough.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a oor screen which is adapted for being bent into any suitable curved shape for supporting itself upon a floor, and which is easily folded or rolled up for storage or transportation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a oor screen which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, light in weight, and which is attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as ill-ustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which,

Figure 1 is a face View of one of the iirst stages in assembly of the screen, showing the slats and the resilient metal strip,

Figure 2 is a face View similar to Figure 1, but showing a later assembly stage with other parts added,

Figure 3 is a face View of a portion of the assernloledl screen, broken out to illustrate the un derlying construction,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Figure 8.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a face View similar to that of Figure 3, showing a modied form of the invention, and broken out to show the underlying construction,

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on lines-43 of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the screen shown in Figure 3, in standing position upon a floor, and Figure 10 is a perspective view of the screen shown in Figures 3 and 9, rolled up for storage` or transportation.

In the manufacture of floor screens, it has been customary to construct them of a number of rigid panel sections, usually three, hinged together along abutting edges. The present invention, as described herein, constitutes a departure from the prior customary screen construction, and permits the manufacture of a screen which may be considerably lighter in weight, and which may make use of exible covering materials in a particularly decorative and utilitarian manner. In addition, the use of a continuous flexible backing material blocks passage of light through any portion of the screen, which with the prior types of construction presented a problem which was not easily solved.

Reference may now be had to the drawings, in which like reference characters denote similar parts throughout the several views. As best shown in Figure l, a number of elongated slats l2 are laid side by side with a slight spacing or crack l ll therebetween. The slats may be formed oi wood or other suitable material, and are cut away along an end portion l 6 of their longitudinal edges i8, the ends 2D of the slats being accordingly reduced along both edge portions as shown in Figure 1.

A flat resilient strip 22 of metal such as spring brass or the like, is then laid across the reduced end portions or lower extensions 24 of the slats, as shown in Figure l, the metal strip being long enough to overlie all the slats in the screen. It will be observed that the brass strip is slightly spaced from the lower ends of the slats. Then a backing sheet 2t of fabric or other suitable flexible material is laid over all the slats and the brass strip 22, as shown in Figures 2, 5 and 6'. The backing sheet 26 is cemented to the faces of the slats but not to the brass strips 22, which thus oats therebetween, that is to say, is slidable longitudinally across the ends of the slats to a limited extent.

As already explained, there is some slight spacing M between adjacent slats, as shown in Figures l and 2, and accordingly, to prevent the passage o'f light through the cracks Hl and through the backing cloth 26, strips 28 of opaque flexible paper are cemented onto the backing cloth 26 over each crack I4, so as to overlie the cracks and prevent passage of light therethrough. These paper strips not only prevent passage of light, but

also have the advantage of adding stiiening to the backing fabric over the cracks where it is of considerable importance, thereby preventing the fabric 26 from beingdepressed into the cracks I4. The paper strips are shorter than the slits, as illustrated.

An outer sheet 3B of fabric is then laid over the inner `fabric v vand Apaper strips.28, asshownin Figure'sjs,A 4,' 5 ,and "e, It will ,be ,observed that both the inner fabric sheet 26 and the outer fabric sheet 30 extend all the way from the top edges 32 of the slats I2, to their bottom edges 24, also extend sidewise across the slat faces from the left hand edge of the extreme left slat to the right hand edge of the extreme right hand Slat gofvthe .v

screen, so as to overlie the entirexscreenface. The outer fabric may be cemented directlyonto the surface of the inner fabric 26 and thev paper strips 28 provided the outer fabric is of such ma- `vterial that the cement will not soak through it ,and Fbevisible ,from the outside surface thereof. f'If, i'iowever,y asis usually the case with decorau tiye ,outer fabrics, the cement might penetrate the "outer fabric and show through, it has been found Y 's best shown in Figures 3 and 6, footing strips 38' of lflexible material such 'as' leather, are lbent insubstantially a U-shape as shown'in Figure 6, "ands'o disposed VsoI as to have one 'leg 38` overlying the inner face surface 40 of the reduced portion '20 at the lower end of each slatV I2, the footing strip being cemented thereto as shown. The web portion 42 of the'footing strip is cemented against :'.tlie lower edge of the slat, as shown in the views,

particularly Figure 6, andthe other leg '44 of the :footing 'strip extends-upward and over the lower marginal edge'portion of the outer fabric SEI, being cemented thereto. 'It will be observed that there isonesuch footing strip attached to the bottom l,ofeach slat, and the legs 38 and 44 thereof do not extend upwards quite to the upper ends 4S of Vthe notches kI 6 on the slats, and also that the footing strips need be only as wide as, or possibly` slightly wider than the reducedend portions 2i] of the slats, as best shown in Figure 3.

The spaced footing strips should be of sturdy material inasmuch as the screen is supported directly upon them, as it rests on the floor surface.

Y Ani elongated bottom edging tape 48 is then vplaced along the lower inner and outer margins of the screen, as shown in FiguresS and 6, being cemented onto the legs 38 and 44 the footing strips and to the intervening outer fabric along its lower margin, in the spaces 5) between the ,footing strips. The upper edge 52 of the edging tape 48, which extends above the upper ends of `the, footing strip legs 38 and 44, as best seen in ,Figure V6, is cemented directly against the outer `fabric. -3l on one face of the screen, and directly against the slats I2 on the rearward face 54 of the screen. The edging tape 43 may be a continuous strip if desired, being bent about the edges of the screen, as at 56 in Figure 3.

,The upper edge 58 of the screen, having no footingstrips, may be bound by means of an upper 4 edging tape 6D which is similar to the lower edging tape 48, extending around the front and rear faces of the screen along its upper margins, as shown in lFigures 3, 4 and 5, the tape being cemented against the underlying slats on the rearward face 54 of the screen and against the underlying outer fabric 30 on the forward face of the fil ' formv of 'a U-shaped channel yasrseenin Figure 5,

and placed over the top edge of the screen, with its depending legs 64 and 66 cementeddown upon the underlying materials as already described.

Arbinding tape 68, similar to the top binding ,tapeIZ and-also bent into a channel, is employed y,to bind the vertical left and right side edges 'ID ,l preferablyin a contrasting color.

y Figures '7 and 8 show afmodied formof the invention. Y The form of screen shown is similar-to I ,tliatn'shown in the other viewsand already described, ,inasmuch asit makesuse of -the elongated slats I2, noched outatwlonboth ends and laid side by side with their abutting sideedges y,slightly spaced asat I4. However, ythe mod'ied form does not have the springbrass strip shown at 22 in Figure 1. Insteadit has usmall wooden blocks 5whichl are disposed betweenV the noched edge portions I5 of adjacent slats inl therecesse's 'IS defined thereby. Then, paper strips 80are cemented overthe cracks I4 between adjacent l Ilight therethrough andto preventtthe'outer fabrics from entering the cracks I4. Y Edging tapes 32 are then cemented over both Ymarginal face portions of the screen somewhat in the manner of the tape 5GA in Figure 5, but being cemented directly upon the'upper marginsof the faces pf VAthe` slats andthefwood blocks therebetween` on Iboth faces of the screen, and along both,4 theupper and lower edges of the screen. i

An outer fabric sheet 84 may then be cemented directly upon both faces of the screen, di-

rectly upon the )underlying paper strips,wslat faces, and edging tapes 82, provided the material is such that the cement will not penetrate it to spoil its appearance, as already discussed above. If, however, the material is such that penetration of thercement would -spoil its decorative appearance, or if it is of a plastic, material which is not easilyvcemented, then an inner lining sheet may be stitched vto the inner Surface of the outer fabric sheet as already described above, and the inner liningrsheetwthen cemented upon theunderlying paper strips, slat faces, and edging tapes.v

The upper and side edges of the modified form of screen may also be bound with binding tape 62 and 68 as already described for Figures 3 and 5, decorative rattan 'I2 being employed if -Ydesired in the same manner.

In use, the screen is opened out as shown in Figure'9, in the form of a roughly S-shaped curve when seen from above, and is then stood upon the floor, Where it will stand in a stable manner. The screen may also be set up in other shapes, such as a semi-circle when seen from above, and will also stand in such positions. For transportation or storage, the screen may be rolled up as shown in Figure 10, with theslat faces on the Aoutside when the forinvof screen shown in Figure 3 is employed, and it may also be rolled up when the modified form shown in Figure 'l is used. A strap 86 may be used to encircle the rolled up screen, to hold it against unrolling.

Although I have described preferred forms of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A screen comprising a plurality of elongated slats disposed in side by side relationship with their abutting longitudinal edges slightly spaced from each other to form cracks therebetween, a resilient metallic strip disposed in overlying relationship to all said slats near one end thereof, edging tapes overlying both faces of all of said slats near an end margin thereof and adhesively secured thereto to flexibly interconnect said slats to form a flexible screen body, an inner fabric sheet overlying all said slats on one face thereof and adhesively secured thereto, elongated opaque strips adhesively secured to said inner fabric sheet overlying said cracks between said slats, and an outer fabric sheet overlying said inner fabric sheet and secured thereto.

2. A screen comprising a plurality of elongated slats disposed in side by side relationship with their abutting longitudinal edges slightly spaced from each other to form cracks therebetween, a resilient metallic strip disposed in overlying relationship across al1 said slats near one end thereof, edging tapes overlying both faces of all said slats near an end margin thereof and adhesively secured thereto to flexibly interconnect said slats to form a flexible screen body, an inner fabric sheet overlying all said slats on one face thereof and adhesively secured thereto, elongated opaque strips adhesively secured to said inner fabric sheet overlying said cracks between said slats to block passage of light therethrough, an outer fabric sheet overlying said inner fabric sheet, and an outer flexible liner sheet secured to the inner surface of said outer fabric sheet and adhesively secured to the outer surface of said inner fabric sheet.

3. A screen comprising a plurality of elongated slats disposed in side by side relationship with their abutting longitudinal edges slightly spaced from each other to form cracks therebetween, a resilient metallic strip disposed in overlying relationship across al1 said slats near one end thereof, said slats being recessed at the ends of their abutting edges to form recesses therebetween, an inner fabric sheet-overlying all said slats on one face thereof and adhesively secured thereto, elongated opaque strips adhesively secured to said inner fabric sheet overlying said cracks between said slats to block light passage therethrough, an outer fabric sheet overlying said inner fabric sheet, an outer flexible liner sheet secured to the inner surface of said outer fabric sheet and adhesively secured to the outer surface of the said inner fabric sheet, and substantially U-shaped footing strips secured over the lower ends of said slats and having one leg thereof secured to the rearward surface of said slats, and having the other leg thereof secured over the lower marginal edge surface of said outer fabric sheet.

4. A screen comprising a plurality of elongated slats disposed in side by side relationship with their abutting longitudinal edges slightly spaced from each other to form cracks therebetween, a resilient metallic strip disposed in overlying relationship across all said slats near the lower end thereof, said slats being recessed at the ends of their abutting edges to form recesses therebetween, an inner fabric sheet overlying all said slats on one face thereof and adhesively secured thereto, elongated opaque strips adhesively secured to the inner fabric sheet overlying said cracks between said slats to block passage of light therethrough, an outer fabric sheet overlying said inner fabric sheet, an outer flexible liner sheet secured to the inner surface of said outer fabric sheet and adhesively secured to the outer surface of said inner fabric sheet, substantially U-shaped footing strips secured over the lower ends of said slats and over said lower marginal edge of the outer fabric sheet, lower edging tapes overlying and secured to all of said footing strips, upper edging tapes overlying and secured to the upper ends of said slats and the adjacent outer fabric sheet, and binding tapes overlying and secured to the upper edging tapes and the side edges of said screen body.

MARGUERITE HENRIETTE HINTERSTEINER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,324,398 Kahr July 13, 1943 2,325,992 Wirthman Aug. 3, 1943 2,352,420 Winters June 27, 1944 5F FOREIGN PATENTS o Number Country Date 417,323 Germany Aug. 8, 1925 

